Vacuum cleaner with detachable reel-and-handle unit



April 1, 1952 B. J. TAMARIN 2,591,214

VACUUM CLEANER WITH DETACHABLE REEL-AND-HANDLE UNIT Filed Nov. 4,1944 5 Sheets- Sheet 1 INVENTOR. BERNARD J. TAMARIN AT RNEY A ril 1, 1952 B. J. TAMARlN 2,591,214

VACUUM CLEANER WITH DETACHABLE REEL-AND-HANDLE UNIT Filed Nov. 4, 1944 5 Sheets-Sheet z INVENTOR. BERNARD J. TAMARIN April 1, 1952 B T M 2,591,214

VACUUM CLEANER WITH DETACHABLE REEL-AND-HANDLE UNIT Filed Nov. 4, 1944 5 Sheets-Sheet I5 a & INVENTOR. a 3 BERNARD J. TAMARIN 25 2| 27 29 2 22 BY ATTOR EY A ril 1, 1952 B. J. TAMARI N 2,591,214

VACUUM CLEANER WITH DETACHABLE REEL-AND-HANDLE UNIT Filed Nov. 4, 1944 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR. BERNARD J. TAMARIN B. J. TAMARIN April 1, 1952 VACUUM CLEANER WITH DETACHABLE REEL-AND-HANDLE UNIT 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR. BERNARD J. TAMARIN ATT Filed Nov. 4, 1944 Patented Apr. 1, 1952 VACUUM CLEANER WITH DETACHAEBIJE REEL-AND-HANDLE Bernard J. Tamarin, ,Flourtown Ifa. Appiicaticn November 4, 19,44,'serial Njoafifilgflfifi The present invention relates to certain new and useful constructions and improvements in handle-operated floor type electric vacuumcleaners, electric flOOI-WaXSIS, polishers and sanders and similar electrical floor-borne handleoperated electrical appliances, namely, those which are adapted to be operated by being moved over the carpet or floor area by means of a long handle generally pivotally connected therewith, while an electric-motor-driven suction-fan or waxing, polishing or sanding discs or rollers operate upon the carpet area or floor area traversed which, for brevity, are hereinafter generally referred to as floor-borne.

The present invention relates more partic-- ularly to certain constructions involving certain newand useful relationships between floor-borne frame, chassis, housing or casing, and the handle and a cord-reel, whereby the electric cord-reel,

handle and chassis may be so related to each other that the weight of the cord-reel will not be ,upon the handle (or so that the weight of the cord-reel upon the handle is minimized) and so that the cord maybe fully concealed until it emerges near the free end of the handle and may be retracted and payed out with maximum facility.

The present invention further relates to certain new, useful and improved constructions in handle-and-reel, and in combinations of handle-and-reel and floor-borne chassis or houshis The present invention further relates to certain new, useful and improved constructions in the chassis and housing of such floor-borne electrical appliances and in handle-andreel therefor.

nections for the handle or Without any other external functional protuberances, and so that the point at which the handle is pivoted may be completelyconcealed within the housingor en- ,casing shell.

l notherohject of the present invention is to 7 Claims. (Cl. 15-423) na e t e nscess t l p l qst em i s a s 1 ma e ee iisenae tqr 11 9 21 ui e rh wee th y cuum ssese E. andthelni p ted d tachabl hand thereof; and t eliminate also the sources of trouble incident to suchrconnectiqns.

o th mmer f il s ratin he ren e there i shes n in th epi miv airi drawin a ,form t reo wh ch p e en seen-e a1- h u h i :is' t th tmde s r that the ari s instrumentalities of which the, A w J a be va o arran ed a g nized a that the ten i i lndt't-li i t the Pre is arrangements and organizations of the instrw it e a her in .s nwn a d desc bed- Figure ,1 represents a ,perspecti e view of a fi e bo ne aztbulatmw-elbeirh sa ru clean- ,er or the ,lilge, representing one embodiment of h res n in enti ns wing th qnb m m ulatory .c assis and housin a an ansl o b u s egre s between meta r ewla d a f s d s fl an h win th ie l xte ded appr xi at t a q ua r p raiins .p si qn- ,Fie r r nreaenisaner r y ew imila ither sh wni F ur andle a l as-brqken wa nd wiih the the i p housing shown approximately 2 2 degrees from a fulllfrontal view. Fi r represent a frame pers ctive ne of h flo b m amhsl p re esmtiq re tum ne kp the lik s qwn in Ei u e W ih .rija of h ha r 1 ha lu keneuavf ur A e r se t .tu i enia p spect v i o th lfi o e chise ra silmlsese or h l k Show infinit an w th pa io an andhashr k aweyrend with t eirs?- dle shown in a r ellfi fally fvertical posit n and with the hes isen 1. .4 r handle and w t st ieltr, ,d-nlan 9 the atlase n h usa s n teHr pa a e t th ii aq Figure 5 represents a perspective view of a floor-looms mb l tory ele t a vaeu inshse or the like, representing one em}: mcnt of the present invention (with part of the handle ,broken away).

3 cleaner or the like, representin one embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 8 represents a side-elevational view of the handle-and-reel unit, representing one embodiment of this phase or aspect of the present invention.

Figure 9 represents a front-elevational view of the same.

Figure 10 represents a side-elevational view of the handle-and-reel unit shown in Figure 8, on a somewhat larger scale, with part of the handle broken away so as to shorten thehandle for more ready illustration within a smaller area.

Figure 11 represents a disassembled frontelevational view of a reel and a part of the handle, to show, the principal component parts thereof and to show their-"construction and to' indicate the manner of their assembly in rela- 7 tion to each other.

Figure Ila is a detail view of a modification of the relgcasing pivot pin construction. 7

Figure 12 represents an inverted side-elevational view,'partly in cross-section on line i2-I2 of Figure 11, but on a somewhat larger scale, to show the disposition of the reel within the reel-housing and to show the electrical brushes onthe two concentric rotary contact-rings carried by the reel andhousing, and indicating also the assembly constructionof handle and reel.

Figure 13 represents a cross-section on line l3 ''-l 3 of Figure 12.

Figure 14 is a fragmentary cross-sectional detail view of a modification of the reel-pivot and reel-support.

In the illustrationsin the accompanying drawings, a housing 29 is carried or supported on wheels 2| and 22, there being generally two front wheels 2| and either one or two rear wheels 22. Within the housing there is an electric motor 23 and a suction fan or centrifugal or impeller type air-mover 24, connected with and operated by the electrical motor 23, having its suctionend in. communication with the floor-inlet or mouth 25 of the vacuum-cleaner, within which floor-inlet a rotary brush or beater 26 may be revolved by belt. 21 driven from the motor or air-mover shaft 28.

. The wheels 2| and 22, electric motor 23, airmoveror blower or suction device 24, as well as the suction-inlet 25 and the conduit leading therefrom to'. the inlet of the suction device 24,

as well as the brushor. beater 26 may be supported or,.mounted upon either the interior of the housing or encasing shell 29 or upon a chassis or frame 29, or partly ,upon such chassis and partly upon such housing. Thus the housing and chassis may all be one and the same thin or there. may be aseparate structure-supporting frame or chassis carrying some or all of theop- .erative parts, and a housing 29 merely in the form, of a covering shell extending over and encasing then-operative parts and fastened to the frame or chassis.

In the rear or posterior end 30 of the housing a recess orslot 3! is provided, extending gen- Y erally in a fore-and-aft direction, and being pref- 4 pivot-sockets 35 and 35 are provided, either formed more or less integrally with the inturned metallic flanges of the metallic casing, housing or shell 29 or formed of other metallic or nonmetallic flanges carried by the housing, frame or chassis, and preferably so arranged as to possess sufficient resiliency, so that they may be forceably spread apart so that the short, pivots or trunnions i9 and H (or 16) carried by the reel or by the reel-housing may be snapped" into the pivot-sockets 35 and 36.

The general sheave type reel 31 is composed of a drum or hub portion 38, a pair of flanges 39 and 49 journaled on a central shaft 4|, which shaft is fixed non-rotationally to the reel-housing 33. The drum or hub 38 is, in turn, composed of two portions, namely the electrical-chamber portion 42, and the spring-chamber portion 43. Within the electrical-chamber portion 42 of the hub, a pair of concentric electrical contact rings or. collector rings 44 and 45 are provided, carried within the concavely drawn hub-portion 42, through suitable disc-like insulator core 41. The ends of the two conductors of the cord 48 are electrically connected to electrical collector rings 44 and 45, said cord 48 extending through the hub-portion 42 through a suitable radial opening 49 therein.

Thebrush-support of contact-block 59, having a central opening therethrough, through'which the shaft 4! extends, is carried by the shaft and is non-revolubly keyed or pinned to the half-shell 5| of the reel-housing 33, as by means of the small projection 92 extending from the contact-block 59 through a registering opening 93 in the half-shell 5|. The contact-block 59 carries a pair of spring-tensioned electrical brushes 5'2 and 53, which bear against the collector-rings 44 and 45, respectively, when the reel and housing are assembled. The electrical conductors 54 and 55 have their-ends connected with the brushes 52 and 53, respectively, and pass through suitable openings in the contact-block 59, and then through a'suitable opening 56 of the half-shell 51 of the reel-housing 33 from whence they are extended to and connected with the electric motor 39 and headlight guide-lamp 5;: in the front of the vacuum-cleaner or the if e.

A metallic ring 94 of generally L cross-section may be afilxed to the inner side of the halfshell 5i (by spot-welding or otherwise) with the inner edge 95 thereof turned inwardly, back upon itself, and clamped down upon the inner edge of a ring 96 of felt or other suitable resilient inaterial, which is thereby held in place, and the outermostperipheral zone of which ring 96 is then made to bear against the side of the flange '39 by being pressed thereagainst by the edge 9'! of the metallic ring 94, thereby tending to keep dust out of thezone of the electrical contacts.

Within the spring chamber-portion 43 of the drum 31, a clock type spring 58 is provided, the inner end of which is fastened to the shaft 4| while the outer end is fastened to the drum or hub portion 43 (by riveting or otherwise) so when the cord 43 is pulled out or unwound from 'the hub 37, the spring is wound up so that. it

will rewind the cord 48 onto the hub and thus retract the cord 48 when desired.

The half-shells 5! and 59 of the reel-housing 33 may be hollow, drawn or pressed or dished metallic (or non-metallic) sections with tangential bosses to and 6|, respectively, from watchers which the half-tubes 62 and 63 extend, also preferably integrally therewith. The half-tubes 62 ameter 61 generally equal to the inner diameter of the tangential boss portions 60 and 6|, and having an axial hole 68 therethrough suitably flared or bell-mouthed at its opposite ends, throughwhich the cord 48 is adapted to pass.

One-of the two half-shells of the reel-housing33,

as, for instance, the half-shell is provided with a peripheral flange 69, preferably integral therewith and having an outside diameter equal to the inside diameter of the other half-shell of the reel-housing 33 and adapted to be telescoped .thereinto, so as to maintain alignment and form a closure between the two half-shells 5| and 59 when assembled in the manner indicated in Figure 9.

The tubular handle 34 (of metal or plastic or plastic-impregnated fibrous material) has an internal diameter just equal to or so close to the outer diameter of the two-half-tube portions 62 and 63 of the reel-housing shells, that when the reel-housing shells are brought together into telescopic and assembled relationship with each other, with the inner tubular reinforcing sleeve 65 disposed between the half-tubes 62 and 63 and the tangential bosses 66 and BI thereof, so as to give internal support thereto, the end of the handle-tube 34 will fit over the contiguous half-tubes 62 and 63 with a drive-fit.

Instead of telescoping the end of the handle- .tube 34 over the contiguous and juxtaposed halftubes 62 and 63 with a drive-fit, the retention of this telescopic relationship may be accomplished through screw-threaded means or any other suitable means. Thus, for instance, the two half-tubes 62 and 63 may have a thread pressed into them, and the lower end of the handle-tube 34 may be similarly threaded, so that the two may be united by threaded engagement.

The reel and reel-housing are assembled by bringing the two half-shells together onto the reel'3'l and sleeve 65, and fastening the centers of the shells to the shaft 4| by means of screws .10 and H (with suitable lock-washers 12 and I3 beneath the heads of the screws), and by telescoping the end of the handle-tube 34 over .the contiguous half-tubes 62 and 63 with the sleeve or plug 65 therebetween. The thus assembled handle-and-reel are then assembled with relation to the housing, frame or chassis of the vacuum-cleaner or the like by inserting the reel or the reel-housing 33 into the slot or recess 3|, either from above or from beneath or from the rear, so that the rounded heads of the screws H will snap into sockets 35 and 36, respectively, thereby acting as pins pivotally connecting the reeland handle to the housing, frame or chassis of the vacuumcleaner or the like.

Instead of pivoting the handle and reel by means of the heads of the screws l6 and H, pivot .pin members or trunnion members I4 and 75 may be provided, as shown in Figure 11a, formed out of sheet metal or the like, composed of round'or other suitably shaped pivot pin portions or trunnionportions 16,,an'daplurality of axial- 1y extending locking projections 11 adapted tc fit into correspondingly spaced perforations or openings in the half-shells 5| and 59,, so as to keep the trunnion members 14 and i5 centered, and to keep them from rotating in relation to Instead of bringing the electrical conductors 54 and 55 (from the electrical brushes Eland 53-) out through the opening '56 :through the side of the half-shell 51, the electrical circuit from the reel or reelhousing, to the housing, frame ,or chassis of the vacuum-cleaner, may be made through the two pivot points of the reel or reelhousing by providing electrical contacts as the trunnions, in insulated relationshipto, each other and to the reel andreel-housingand having the conductors from the brushes connected to the opposite electrically insulated points of pivoting, which would then make contact with the electrical circuit of the motor ;23 and head-flight 51 through electrically insulated contacts in the pivot-sockets 35 and 36, or the pivot-sockets ,or supports 35 and 36 may themselves be electrically insulated with respect to the housing, frame or chassis of the vacuum-cleaner or the like, though supported thereby andfastened thereto. In this manner, there may be ,no need for any wire extending from the reel or the reel-housing .to the housing, frame or chassis of the vacuumcleaner or the like, so that the handle-a-nd-reel unit may be inserted into and removed from the housing, frame and chassis of the vacuum-cleaner or the like by merely pulling the reel out-of the slot or recess 3!, spreading the spring-tensioned pivotal supports 35 and, and the electricalcontacts carried or formed thereby, sufficiently to release the electrically insulated points of pivoting insulatedly carried by the reel cruel-housing (or by manually retracting separate DiVOt7SQIGWS or pins of similar electrical relationship).

In such case, the electrically conducting trunnions Hit are preferably provided on thepivotal supports I01 of the vacuum-cleaner housing, frame and chassis H12 (in insulated relation thereto), while the electrical conduction pivot points I63 of the reel and housing )5 are preferably set in from the surface of the half-shells of the reel-housing I05 or concaved inwardly so that the electrical conducting pivotal contacts I03 of the reel or reel-housing will be sufficiently beneath the surface or sufficiently recessed within their electrical-insulating supports IIM, that there will be substantially no dangerof accidently touching the opposite electrical contacts carried by the reelor reel-housing when the reel-and-handle are detached from the housing, frame or chassis I02 of the vacuum-cleaner or the like, while the cord 48 is plugged into a live electric circuit.

Instead of carrying the electrical connection throughthe pivot points, as, last-above described, I may terminate the electricalconductors St and cular or crescent-shaped slip-ring segments.

7 55 in spring-pressed or spring-tensioned contactbrushes, carried by the reel-housing and spaced radially outwardly a suitable distance from the axis thereof; which two contact-brushes could either be on the same side of the housing or on opposite sides thereof, and which would (when the housing is operatively inserted into position diameter or radius, one on one side of the circle and one on the other side of the circle, and the brushes similarly disposed, while if an angulation of 180 or more than 180 is desired, the two slip-rings would be spaced varying radial distances from the axis, and the brushes similarly disposed. ln this form of construction I -may cause the brushes to be normally retracted into the housing or into suitable recesses so as not to be readily contacted by the hand (when the reel-housing is removed from the chassis), and'to be extended into an operative or contacting position onlywhen the reel-housing is disposed between its pivotal-supports or when the cord is disconnected.

The air-outlet 18, to which the mouth 19 of the collector bag 80 is fastened, is offset from the median vertical plane of the housing, frame or chassis, as shown in the drawings. I may also provide dual air-outlets 18 and BI, with corresponding inlet openings 19 and 82 provided at the lower end of the collector bag 80.

The electric cord 48 emerges from the handle through an offset or angularly positioned cordoutlet 83 provided at the upper end of the handle, and fastened to a side-opening in the handletube by means of screws 84. An inner insulating bushing 85 serves to guide the cord 48 of the handle.

The cord 48 may be retained in any desired payed-out or extended position (against the retracting effect of the reel-spring 58) either by means of the ball 'jamb 86 at the upper end of the handle as shown in Figures 13 or. 7 or by means of a positive-action pawl and ratchet mechanism interposed between the reel-flange 40 and half-shell 59 within the reel-housing 33, so as to lock the reel against springimpelled retractive-rotation at any desired cord extension, in which case the cord-locking mechanism shown in Figures 13 and 7 hereof, at the upper end of the handle, may be eliminated.

The cord-locking mechanism shown in the accompanying drawings, at the upper end of the handle, comprises principally a wedging or looking grooved-roller or jamb 8G, and a retaining channel 81 at an angle converging downwardly in relation to the wall 88 of the offset angular cordoutlet member 83 at the upper end of the handle, so that when the cord is retracted in the direction of the arrow 89, it pulls the grooved rolier or lamb 86 into the converging passage between the walls 81 and 88 until the cord is locked, in the manner indicated in Figure 13. To pull the cord 48 out to a greater extent, it is merely necessary to pull on the cord 43, while to release the cord so that it may be retracted by the reel (through the handle) in the direction of the arrow 89, it is merely necessary to pull the string 89 tied to the jamb 86, the outer end of the string 8}! being fastened to the handle, at 90, so as to form a continuous trigger-loop 9 I.

The han'dleiiia'y be insulated from the chassis, frame, shell or housing, either by making the handle of a non-metallic material such as plastic or impregnated fibrous material, or by interposing an insulating sleeve, plug or bushing or other insulating member between the otherwise metallic handle-tube and the reel-housing.

The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof, and it is therefore desired that the present embodiment be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, reference being had to the appended claims rather than to the foregoing description to indicate the scope of the invention. Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is: 1'. A vacuum-cleaner including a housing having an electric motor mounted 'therewithin and having a bifurcated rear-end, a detachable reeland-handle unit pivotally mounted within said bifurcated rear end, said unit including a reelhousing, a rotatable reel mounted within'said reelhousing and a hollow handle extending upwardly from said reel-housing, an extensible electric cord carried by said reel and extending from said reel-housing and through said handle and emerging adjacent the upper end of said handle, and means contained within said reelhousing for maintaining electrical contact b tween said electric motor and said electric-cord regardless of rotation of said reel within said reel-housing. 2. In a vacuum-cleaner having a housing and an electric-motor mounted within said housing;

a reel-and-handle unit adapted for quick attachment to said housing, said unit including an axially-split two-piece generally cylindrical reelhousing constructed and arranged to be pivotally fastened to the cleaner-housing having its entire periphery closed except for a single radial open ing, a spring-tensioned reel journalled within said reel-housing, a hollow handle rigidly fastened at its lower end to said single opening in the reel-housing, an electric-cord wound around said reel and extending through said handle With its upper free end emerging adjacent the upper end of said handle, and means contained within said reel-housing for maintaining electrical contact intermediate said electric-motor and said electric-cord regardless of rotation of said reel within said housing, 7 j 3. A vacuum cleaner including a housing member for an electric motor and a fan driven thereby, said member havin its rear portion formed to provide an upwardly and rearwardly opening slot, a detachable reel-and-handle unit comprising a substantially cylindrical casing member and a hollow handl extending therefrom for guiding an electric cord to and from the casing member, and means comprising relatively resiliently related socket and pivot in elements formed on said members respectively for pivotlly mounting the casing in the slot and adaptin it to be snapped into and out of position therein.

4. A vacuum cleaner including a housing member for an electric motor and a fan driven thereby, said member having it rear portion formed to provide an upwardly and rearwardly opening slot, a detachable reel-and-handlei1nit comprising a substantially cylindrical casing member and a hollow handl extending therefrom for guiding an electric cord to and from the casing member, and means pivotally mounting the unit in the slot and electrically connecting a cord in the unit with a motor in the housing member comprising electrically insulated socket elements formed in one of said members and electrically insulated pivot pin elements extending from the other member and journaled in said socket elements, the cooperating elements being in electrical contact with each other and with said cord and the terminals of said motor.

5. A vacuum cleaner including a housing memher having in its forward portion an electric motor and a fan driven thereby and having its, rear portion formed to provide an upwardly and rearwardly opening slot behind said motor and fan, a detachable reel-and-handle unit comprising a substantially cylindrical casing member and a hollow handle extending therefrom for guiding an electric cord to and from the casing member, and means pivotally mounting the unit in the slot and electrically connecting a cord in the unit with the motor in the housing member comprising electrically insulated socket elements formed in one of said members and electrically insulated pivot pin elements extending from the other member and journaled in said socket elements, the cooperating elements being in electrical contact with each other and with said cord and the terminals of said motor, and said socket and pivot pin elements being relatively resilient whereby the reel-and-handle unit may be snapped into and out of position in the slot.

6. A vacuum-cleaner including a housing having an electric motor mounted therewithin and having a bifurcated rear-end, a detachable reeland-handle unit pivotally mounted within said bifurcated rear-end, said unit including a reelhousing, a spring-tensioned rotatable reel mounted within said reel-housing and a hollow handle extending upwardly from said reel-housing, an extensible electric cord carried by said reel and extending from said reel-housing and through said handle and emerging adjacent the upper end of said handle, and means contained Within said reel-housing for maintaining electrical contact between said electric motor and said electriccord regardless of rotation of said reel within said reel-housing, said electric motor being disposed forwardly of said bifurcated rear-end and being wholly outside said reel-housing.

7. In a vacuum-cleaner having a housing and an electric motor mounted within said housing; a reel-and-handle unit adapted for quick attachment to said housing, said unit including a pair of complementary half-section casing elements constructed and arranged to be fitted together so as to form a generally enclosed axially-split reel-casing, a hollow handle communicatin with said reel-casing and extending generally outwardly therefrom in rigid relationship thereto, a spring-tensioned reel journalled within the reelcasing, an electric cord wound around said reel and extending from said reel-casing and through said hollow handle with its upper free end emerging adjacent the upper end of the handle, and electric contact means contained within. the reelcasing to maintain a closed electrical circuit regardless of rotation of said reel, said reel-casing being pivotally mounted on the cleaner housing with its pivotal axis coinciding with the axis of rotation of said reel.

BERNARD J. TAMARIN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 752,696 Masterson Feb. 23, 1904 1,139,809 Schultz May 18, 1915 1,428,863 Smith Sept. 12, 1922 1,551,856 Tamarin 1- Sept. 1, 1925 1,576,701 Aalborg Mar. 16, 1926 1,578,750 Owen Mar. 30, 1926 1,639,959 Owen Aug. 23, 1927 1,887,173 Tamarin Nov. 8, 1932 1,897,087 Tamarin Feb. 14, 1933 1,902,593 Tamarin Mar. 21, 1933 1,921,288 Farmer Aug. 8, 1933 1,921,438 Tamarin Aug. 8, 1933 2,102,221 Riebel Dec. 14, 1937 2,149,588 Dow Mar. 7, 1939 2,188,809 Dow Jan. 30, 1940 2,246,862 Smellie June 24, 1941 2,246,863 Smellie June 24, 1941 2,287,911 Snyder June 30, 1942 2,374,457 Reeves Apr. 24, 1945 

